TAWG - January 2, 2024 - 1 Timothy 5:1-16
January 2, 2024

1 Timothy 5:1-16

5:1-2 | Paul uses family terms like father, brothers, mothers, and sisters to characterize relationships within the church. This reflects the idea of the early church notion that the assembly of believers was God’s household. For this reason Timothy (and pastors today) should avoid stern rebuke when dealing with members of the congregation. It is far more effective to exhort them, a term that implies urging and correction but also encouragement.

5:3-6 | Paul defines true widows as those who have no one to care for them. In the earliest days of the church at Jerusalem, deacons were appointed to care for widows (Acts 6:1-7).

5:4-6 | In the first century, a widow was often in a difficult situation financially. Because some widows in Ephesus were abusing the church’s assistance, Paul makes two exceptions: those with a family of their own to care for them and those who live in pleasure should not rely on the church’s help. In the latter instance, he cautions the church not to enable sinful lifestyles.

5:7-8 | Families are responsible for each other. Any Christian who neglects the needs of family members not only acts worse than the average unbeliever but also neglects the basic premise of the faith – to love and serve one another. Christians should live by a far higher standard (John 15:12; 1 Thess. 4:9).

5:9-16 | Paul addresses the issue of which widows the church should assist financially. He affirms that older, single women who serve selflessly and mentor younger women are great assets to the church and should be supported, while the younger widows – who often indulge sensual desires (wanton) and follow idle ways – tend to pose a threat and should not be supported.